Two face drug charges after high-speed chase

State police seized more than 560 bags of heroin worth $11,000, a gas container of marijuana and syringes after a high-speed chase ended with the driver crashing his SUV into another car and flipping it onto its side, police said.

Warrelmann was driving in the passing lane for about a mile around 5 p.m. on Tuesday on the North Cross Valley Expressway in Plains Township when Officer Joseph Pericci pulled her over as they reached the Exit 2 off ramp leading into Wilkes-Barre, police said.

Pericci said he smelled a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the car and observed that Warrelmann and Lopez appeared nervous. Warrelmann spoke to Pericci with trembling lips, according to the affidavit.

Pericci asked to search the vehicle, to which Warrelmann consented, the affidavit says. As Warrelmann asked Pericci a question about the search after she got out of her vehicle, Lopez crawled from the front passenger seat into the driver seat and took off in the black Ford Escape into Wilkes-Barre, the affidavit says.

Lopez wheeled the car right onto Conyngham Avenue, then left onto Pennsylvania Avenue and drove at a high speed for several blocks, not yielding at any intersection, police said. As he neared Ross Street, he slammed the SUV into the driver side of a Volkswagen Jetta turning onto Pennsylvania Avenue, lost control of the vehicle and flipped it onto its driver side before sliding to a stop, police said.

About 10 police cruisers flocked to the scene, and shortly after the crash, around 5:45 p.m., Lopez was lying on the ground before EMS workers lifted him onto a gurney and loaded him into an ambulance.

When police searched the vehicle, they found 562 heroin packets with a street value of $11,000 in a shoe box, a gas container filled with marijuana, and six syringes in Warrelmann's purse, the affidavit says.

In addition to the drug offenses, Lopez was charged with reckless and careless driving, fleeing from police, recklessly endangering another person and other traffic violations. Magisterial District Judge Joseph Halesey set cash bail of $35,000 for Lopez and $25,000 for Warrelmann. Their preliminary hearings are set for 9 a.m. March 27 before Magisterial District Judge Martin R. Kane in Wilkes-Barre.

jseibel@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2110, @cvseibel

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